Workers of the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) have raised strong objections to what they describe as a covert attempt to sell the state-owned smelter, warning that the company is “not for sale by stealth.”
In a press release dated January 9, 2026, the VALCO Local Union criticised an announcement by the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) claiming that strategic investors had been secured to modernise VALCO and establish an alumina refinery.
The union said neither workers nor their representatives were consulted before the announcement, describing the process as secretive, rushed, and bearing the hallmarks of disguised privatisation.
Workers questioned how a national asset like VALCO could be positioned for transfer without transparent valuation, stakeholder engagement, or the involvement of an independent transaction advisor. They also expressed concern over reports that parts of VALCO’s land could be targeted under the guise of an industrial park project.
The union called on President John Dramani Mahama to intervene, stating that they believe he would not knowingly support any process that undermines transparency or the interests of workers. They also urged the Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Professor Michael Kpessa-Whyte, to immediately investigate GIADEC’s handling of VALCO.
Describing VALCO as a legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the workers vowed to resist any attempt to dispose of the company without due process.
“VALCO is not just a factory; it is a national legacy. We will not sit idle and watch it dismantled under our watch,” the statement added.
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